Authors Note: Hey everyone, this is my first IS fic and only my second fic ever. I hope to improve with every entry that I make. That being said, please let me know what I am doing well and where I need to improve. I appreciate anything advice you can give. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy what I have to share.
Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos or any icons or characters herein.
The Vineyard
Looking up at the brilliant glass skyscraper evoked thoughts of stability and peace within her. The midday sun and light easterly breeze made the beautiful plaza that much more tranquil. The simple water fountain and wide arrangement of flowers and shrubs took many viewers to a place outside the sprawling metropolis of Toulouse that surrounded them. The gentle sound of the water crashing against the stone fixture and the many ripples in the pool below were mesmerizing. And as she reached down to dip her hands into the gentle waters its warmth washed around them sending a thrill up her arms.
The large headquarters of Dunois Industries was a very appealing and welcoming place. The landscaping and architecture illustrated a truly convincing assurance of clean and ethical progress. This platform for the future of the IS development for France was like a second chance for the future. It displayed the fine points of human ingenuity. It was here that the future was being built, but for her, the truth behind her name was something more ugly and sinister. This corporation that guaranteed a better and brighter tomorrow was no different than any other form of greed that had also masked itself behind shallow promises and sweet words.
She was a living testament to their dispassionate coldness. She was just a tool to her father, a means to an end, nothing more than a bastard child.
In a swift and euphoric release she tore the pendant from her necklace and dropped it into the shallow pool before her.
"I will be their experiment no longer." The blonde girl breathed lowly.
Charlotte's quick steps matched the pace of her heart as she marched to the main entrance. The main foyer was just as bright and welcoming as its exterior. Daylight from the glass-topped roof, nearly forty stories above her shined down, illuminating the lobby in a warm way. Modern architecture adorned the interior and spiraled its way to the very top. The many curves and textures of metal and ceramic climbed along each surface as they reached towards the sky.
"Charlotte right, what brings you here?" A voice called over.
She was always good with names but this one escaped her. A faint blush glowed upon her cheeks as the receptionist smiled at the young I.S. pilot.
"Pardonnez-moi, I cannot recall your name." Charlotte replied carefully, hoping not to offend, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
The receptionist chuckled lightly before revealing her secret. "Claire, my name is Claire. I don't see you here often," Claire tilted her head slightly digging deep into her memories. "Actually, I think I've only seen you here once before, so what brings you here today?" She smiled genuinely, already discarding her usual canter and mask reserved for actual guests who were less interesting and even less polite.
Charlotte was beginning to have second thoughts about her actions. Her hesitation grew relevant to Claire who kindly shot off another question, breaking the awkward silence. "Well, I can show you around if you like."
Charlotte's heart plummeted; there was no way she could not get this kind woman involved in her mess. "No! Uh, I know my way around, merci."
"Okay," Claire retreated, clearly shocked from the young girl's sudden, sharp and firm reply. "Please take this badge Charlotte, security has been a little tighter recently."
Charlotte accepted the VIP badge with a warm smile hoping to disarm the receptionist's increased concern. A quick snap to clip on the plastic card and she was heading towards the elevator. The young girl knew she possessed unrestricted access to all of Dunois' facilities, but that didn't mean everyone else knew that. Besides, her goal was too important to let some newly hired security agent foil her plans.
As the elevator started its ascent she recognized the melody playing over the speakers. It was a slow and simple piano piece that could've easily been a child's lullaby. Charlotte's breathing came to a halt as her mind made the connection and she drifted away.
It had been ten years. Ten years since the last time she heard this tune, ten years since she last seen her father. She remembered the car rocking back and forth as it traveled across the unpaved roads of their vineyard with the occasional bump. The same music played inside the rocking limo as it finally came to a stop in front of the estate. It was here, that was the center of her world. It was here that she spent all afternoon with her parents. She knew she had only one day where her mother and father were going to be together.
She remembered having to crawl around between the many rows of fruit. She had just grown tall enough to clear the tops of them forcing her to get low enough that she wouldn't be spotted. She was lousy at the game. Her father always found her with ease. Thinking back on it she giggled the entire time almost making it too easy for him to find her.
She had insisted on playing it over and over again, always being the 'hider' and never the 'seeker'. He was a younger man back then and they both had the energy to play and play for hours. She had favorite spots that she would always go to, and he would always find her. His face would light up with joy and he would grab her and hold her up high. He would laugh with joy as he spun around and around, kissing Charlotte on the cheeks as everything else twirled around them. Then he would set his child down and she would run off again.
She remembered seeing the sun in her eyes as it started its descent below the horizon. She had known that they could only play a little longer as she eagerly waited for him. The young girl hunkered down close to the dirt and listened carefully for his footsteps, anticipating his arrival. A few quiet moments passed by as the melody of grasshoppers began to rise over the fields. Still nothing.
Charlotte cautiously stood to her feet trying her best to remain hidden, as she looked left and right for her father. The peaceful rolling fields and setting sun created an immaculate image upon the horizon. A gradient of oranges shined nearest the horizon and as they splashed upon the few clouds that remained in the sky they transformed into a brilliant pink. The shear beauty it adorned the sky with, would normally posses the power to quiet and soothe any heart with its beauty. But Charlotte was not a captive to it, too immersed in her own worries. She began to worry more and more as time went on. It was becoming darker outside and this beautiful landscape before her was disappearing with the night.
"PAPA!" She yelled as she frantically ran through the fields hoping to see her father searching for her. No response echoed her cries for help. She continued to run, stumbling through the fields and scraping by the stakes that supported each vine. Her knees were cut and bloodied, they stung but she did not care as she kept searching.
"Charlotte!" A voice called over the fields, "Charlotte!" It was her mother, her voice growing more desperate with each call. "Charlotte!"
"Maman!" She called out in equal disparity."Maman!" Running as fast she could, tracking the source of her mother's voice. Suddenly a flashlight shone upon her, blinding with intensity.
"Charlotte!" The tear filled voice cried out.
"Maman!" She yelled now sprinting to her mother.
Perhaps she would've seen the ditch if the light was not shining on her. Maybe if she had not been so afraid she would've had time to see where she was running. Either way gravity did its job and sent her down to the earth. It wasn't a large drop but large enough to fracture the shin of a young child. She heard it crack before the immense waves of pain rippled and tore up her body. Charlotte screamed in pain as she disappeared from her mother's flashlight and crashed to ground. Tears filling up in her eyes, as the loud sobs of a young girl was all that echoed throughout the night.
She had always loved the man he used to be, but those memories were exactly that, memories. Since the moment she first entered this place years ago Charlotte was no longer his daughter, she had been forcefully transformed into a biomechanical experiment in order to keep the company afloat.
All of the grueling tests and countless hours spent in the laboratory, away from the childhood that she so earnestly desired. Instead of beautiful dresses she had medical gowns. Instead of friends she had doctors and drill instructors. While others her age were outside playing she was learning to control her IS. And instead of the warmth of friendship with others, she had the cold steel of her exterior shell. But Charlotte gladly gave those things up, she set them aside just for the chance to be around her father again.
The sharp 'ding' of the elevator panel brought Charlotte back to reality. The stainless steel doors slid open revealing a much larger and open top floor of the skyscraper. This is where the top business chiefs laid out their plans and where the sum of Dunois Industry's nearly thirty thousand employees rested their lively hood upon.
People shuffled back and forth from room to room looking over memos and discussing ideas with one another. With all of the moving around and cross conversations it was hard to believe that anything was being accomplished. Phones rang without pause and indoor voices turned into shouting contests. It became very obvious to Charlotte why these top executives were always tired and short with each other. She couldn't see herself being that much different after spending eight hours in a place like this.
Unhindered by the commotion around her the blonde girl dodged, ducked, and sidestepped her way to the far side of the main floor. A few double takes from people she passed by, but most of them were too busy to investigate as to why she was there.
A single broad hallway stretched before her. The left side faced to the west with floor to ceiling windows. Charlotte imagined it would be a beautiful sight in a few hours as the sun began its descent to the earth. On the right side she could see the evolution of both her family and the empire they built. It started three generations ago with her great grandfather. He began with simple machine parts for agricultural tractors. As she continued down the hall the faces became younger and the tractors had turned into power turbines, and then aircraft, and finally arriving to the present.
Charlotte had no quarrel with the IS and her own personal Raphael Revive II. But what it represented was something she despised. It was a wall between her and a normal life with her father. And every year, every drill, every obstacle she had to overcome, there was a hope that she would be able to just talk with the only person who remained of her family.
The young blonde girl looked at the early models displayed on the wall, they were clumsy. She had a hard time imagining how to pilot something so clunky and unbalanced, but somehow her predecessors had managed it. And they had piloted it much better than her current capabilities to her frustration.
As she finally arrived at the end of the hall another receptionist awaited her behind a large cedar desk. She appeared a little less accepting than the main floor receptionist. Probably because she was not used to seeing people Charlotte's age in the chief's executive office.
"May I help you?" She asked, her words were more inquisitive than guiding.
"Oui, Can you relay a message to my papa Monsieur Dunois s'il vous plait?" Charlotte stated genuinely.
Another harsh and confused look was sent her way as the receptionist tried to figure who this little girl was. "May I have your name?" She asked sternly as she picked up her phone.
"Yes, tell him it is Charlotte, Charlotte Dunois. And tell him it is urgent." She spoke softly trying her best to keep her decorum.
Without pause the receptionist pecked her tablet a couple of times and waited patiently for an answer. Another awkward moment transpired as the two tried there best not to stare at each other directly. And finally an electronic voice crackled over the receiver.
"Madame Monique, you came in on the emergency line, is everything okay?" Another business chief must have replied. Charlotte knew her father's voice even with very little exposure to it.
"Oui, I have a young Charlotte Dunois claiming to see her papa." She made sure to state clearly for everyone in the conference room to hear.
"Is this a joke? I have known our CEO for many years and this would be the first I have heard of a Charlotte. We are in the middle of-" The voice stopped as the shuffle of feet could be heard moving around the room. "Monsieur Dunois?"
Another pause as scratches, bangs, and pops echoed over the speakers on the tablet. "Madame Monique..." Charlotte's eyes went wide as the words of her father reached her ears. "I have no daughter by that name. Please have security escort the young lady off the premises."
Charlotte felt her soul tear as her eyes began to well up, her chest suddenly became heavy. She never thought he would deny her existence so brutally, even after all this time, she had hoped in her heart. Her knees became weak and she felt as if she was about to suffer from a heart attack. Just beyond a pair of closed doors behind Monique was her father. She had come so far that she was not leaving without seeing him.
Charlotte didn't hesitate, she knew security would take her away at any second. She quickly dashed to the wall to her right and activated the fire alarm. All automatic doors slid open as water began raining down from the extinguishers above. The conference room doors opened wide as everyone poured out in a semi-panicked manner, everyone except him. The young girl rushed past all the business chiefs pushing them aside as she went. She stopped suddenly as she spotted him sitting in a chair at the head of the table.
Water continued to pour all around them as Charlotte ran to meet her father. It was as if he was immune to everything that was going on around him. As if he was able to shut out the chaos of the world and focus on what needed to happen. He sat motionless, looking at the glass window as the water cascaded down its sides creating a mesmerizing and ever changing mural, his face stoic.
Now that she was finally before her father once again, she had no idea what to do or say. Her anger had completely derailed her thoughts. After a brief moment of silence and confusion a couple of guards came rushing into the conference room.
"Sir, you need to follow us and evacuate the building, it is not safe here." One of them begged sincerely as they watched father and daughter standing next one another.
Charlotte looked at her surroundings, she could see the strobing lights and hear the blaring horn of the fire alarm. The office was completely ruined and the many ledgers and computers had been destroyed by the extinguishers. Seeing the fruit of her actions the blonde girl slowly turned back to her father.
He spoke softly, not caring that the volume of his words were barely audible over the fire alarm. "No, There is no need to evacuate." He stood to his feet waving off the security personnel. "I will remain here, please ensure everyone else is okay." The proud business man turned his attention to the young blonde girl. "I'm sure this panic has made our employees very nervous."
Charlotte quickly raised a hand in defense of her actions. She was about to explain herself before her father gently grabbed her arm. "Please...Charlotte..." His words drifted off quietly as he wrapped his arms around her.
She was completely caught off guard, this was the only second time she had ever felt his embrace. And here she had come in with her weapons drawn, but instead of a fight she was met with this. Regret washed over the French candidate making her shiver as the cold water continued to rain over them.
"But papa..." Charlotte looked up at her father as tears and water ran down her face.
"Shhh." He stroked her wet slicked hair and placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead. "My dear daughter..." He swallowed hard as the pain of seeing his child in such a state burdened his soul. "I know I am a weak man. I know I have made many mistakes in my past, but you..." He gently cupped his daughter's chin lifting it slightly. "You...you are not one of them. And I promise...I will be a better father than the husband that I was."
The water continued to rain over them but its sharp cold faded into a warm summer rain. Steam began to rise and wrap around her and the wet wool suit of her father faded away from sensation. The gentle beating of his heart began to slip away and fell in synch with her own. Her knees finally gave into her burdened soul as she collapsed upon the floor. No hand reached out to catch her as she fell. She slipped across the wet floor and came to rest hunkered down and afraid.
A dull thud arrested her attention and opening her eyes she saw her pendant hanging from the bathroom door.
"Charlotte? are you okay? It sounded like you fell in shower." A concerned but firm German voice called from behind the door.
"Yes, I...uh, I am okay..." Her voice shook as she tried to stand back up. "Just bad memories..." she breathed lowly, finding herself back at IS academy dormitory.
"Everyone sit down and SHUT UP!" Chifuyu commanded. Charlotte snapped out of her daze while all the other students quickly rushed to their seats. A nervous silence resided over the class as the shuffle of their shoes finally came to a stop. "There are going to be many changes to this academies curriculum. Over the next few weeks you will be receiving intense combat training." Murmurs waved through the students leaving many to feel uncertain about their future.
"I'm happy to introduce to you another instructor that will be working very closely with many of you." Yamada stated cheerfully, trying to sway the dreadful mood Chifuyu had put them in. "I would like you all to give a very warm welcome to Maj. Lance."
He was about as average as one could be. Not very tall, not very short either. Medium build and instantly recognizable as a foreigner to this country. His gaze was firm and controlled, what would be expected from a military officer. Although he wore the standard academy dress white uniform, it was painfully obvious where this new instructor called home.
"Good morning class." His words carried the usual militaristic command that many of the cadets had become accustomed to. But his tone and speech were measurably softer than Chifuyu. He spoke to the students as near equals.
"Good morning Maj. Lance." The students replied back in a similar manner.
"I know many of you have a lot of questions about what changes are taking place and I will let you know everything I know, as soon as I am notified." The Major sighed as he looked around at the young faces, all giving him their undivided attention. "I know many of you are just now learning the basics of this new weapon platform known as the IS. I am not here to aid you in developing your skills as pilots, but I am here to instruct you in various forms of combat." Before he could continue a hand raised above the students' heads.
"Yes? Go ahead." Lance stated.
"Sir, aren't the IS only used for competition such as contests?" A small voice asked.
The Major drew in a large breath before he tackled the query. "The short answer to that question is yes, that is their primary function at this time. But as many of you will see very soon, this world is an ever changing place. And change is upon us now." Maj. Lance paused for a second as he could see the grim concern upon all of the student's faces. "Let me make this clear, no one is asking you to go and fight an offensive war. And there will never be a time for that to happen. But what is happening is a shift to national defense. IS pilots, such as yourselves, will still be contenders, but many of you will also function as defensive units within your national government."
More voices began to rise and climb within the classroom as their doubts and fears intensified. It was clear that the class was about to spiral out of control.
"How will you be helping us?" Ichika yelled as he tried to get above all the commotion. "What I mean is, what training are you going to provide for us? Are you able to pilot an IS?" The class became very hushed as they all nervously waited for the Major's reply, wondering if there was another male pilot.
"No, I cannot pilot an IS unit, but I will be training you in my expertise. I will train you to fight, to conquer, and to win." Lance admitted proudly.
"Great, another loud mouthed American to waste my time and talent." A low voice grumbled from within the student body.
The Major's eyes shot in the general direction of the voice. "Yes, that is correct. I am an American, and yes we are loud and arrogant." The Major's tone darkened slightly as he tried his best not to lash out. "We are also warmongers, like the ancient Greeks, we have been killing since our nations inception. Whether or not 'War' was declared is irrelevant. Each and every year our nation has been warring with another nation or enemy. It is what we do, it is what we are." Lance looked around addressing the entire class scanning their faces as he continued. "Let me be clear on one thing, I do not revel in warfare, no soldier does. If anything they avoid it with all their heart because they are the one to bear its scars. And if you are to protect Japan or whatever nation you call home then you will need to be the very best. And I will show you how."
It wasn't the best of receptions he had ever received but it could have been worse. Half of the class was still stuck on the thought of being a soldier while the others were dreading his arrival. Either way he was stuck with them until they were ready. It was safe to say that from day one everyone was uncomfortable with this new direction.
Author's Note: Hey thanks again for reading my material. This is pretty much setting the tone of my story and it will center around Charlotte and the eventual outbreak of war. And yes, I belive this is a real possibility. No one person can outsmart or outplay the entire human race (Tabane Shinonono). Someone will eventual duplicate this technology or steal it. Human history has shown this over and over again (ie. nuclear weapons) that once a power has been revealed it will be duplicated, improved, and weaponized for warfare. it is just what we do.